19 January 2008

Erin over at Skinny Gourmet has come up with an event for the end of this month entitled Food for Thought. As the title suggests Proust had his madeleines ...a cookie (or is it a cake) which evoked strong memories of his childhood days from a single crumb. To read the entire passage from Remembrance of Things Pastcontinue to read here .

"She sent for one of those squat plump little cakes called "petites madeleines," which look as though they had been molded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell … I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses …

And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray … when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my aunt Leonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane …. and the whole of Combray and its surroundings, taking shape and solidity, sprang into being, town and garden alike, from my cup of tea."

So what would be my madeleine?

From the photo you have probably already guessed it! Now what childhood memories would evoke from the consumption of dolmades, the quintessential Greek food.... from a British girl in Canada? I swear I must have been Greek in a past life for one...at least that is what I have dreamt of.... I am Greek at heart.

A madeleine can be a food or a smell or a whisper that brings back strong memories from the past. My first memory of ever eating a dolmade was in a Greek restaurant in Penticton. We used to visit there quite often. I am very fond of taking the easy route and purchasing a can of dolmades and eating them like candy. With each mouthful I remember sitting in the outdoor patio of Theoz Restaurant with its warm summer night breezes and dreams of a trip to Greece somewhere in my future. I remember the feelings of these magical nights and being with that someone special with laughter and fresh ideas.

When I close my eyes and consume even more dolmades with every luscious, citrusy mouthful I picture myself with a warm Agean breeze sitting at an outdoor taverna on a Greek island in the company of warm friends and a bottle of raki....which is also my friend. Hic! We sat in Aglaia Kremezi's kitchen on the island of Kea at her cooking school Keartisanal rolling dolmades from freshly blanched grape leaves from her extensive gardens with a group of new found friends. Rolling hundreds of dolmades goes much more quickly with good conversation, a little wine and some bazouka music! Later the following day we were eating those same dolmades at a sea side picnic with fish caught fresh from the sea and lamb chops roasting on a makeshift grill between snorkelling and diving off of cliffs into the azure waters and drinking exceptional Greek wines.

I close my eyes even tighter and I am sitting on a sun-drenched patio here in the Okanagan with some good friends and eating the same dolmades made from newly blanched grape leaves from vineyards here in the valley. Good food, good friends and good times with a bottle of excellent Greek wine pictured below....my favourite Greek wine that can be purchased here outside of Greece.

I can sit in my living room with a can of dolmades on my favourite dish and take the simplest pleasure. Life is about the small moments, the memories, the love and friendship of those close to you. I close my eyes often and dream of far away places and the warm sea breezes, but, I am always glad to come home....

For the original dolmades recipes of Aglaia's and my own on this blog visit here .

Val, what a great post! I have to admit that you made me really nostalgic for the Armenian food my Grandmother used to make. Every year for Madagha Festival she'd make homemade dolmas filled with lamb and rice. My mouth is watering a little just thinking of them. Thanks to a strong Lebanses presence in Ghana, we can also get Lebanese-style dolmas here!

I could almost feel the breeze in my face with your beautiful story! This is the first time I hear about Dolmades... instead of going to a Greek restaurant (there's some in Barcelona) maybe I should plan a trip to one of the fantastic islands!!!Great post, Val!!!

lol Peter and Valli! I agree with both of you, actually...I much prefer homemade, but canned will work for a quickie snack! :) Yum. Thank goodness for my Iranian and Lebanese restaurants...they make lovely wraps almost like Greek ones...each has their own distinct taste...but for the real Greek dolmades in lemon sauce I have to fasten my apron strings. :) YUM!

Val, the least we can do for you is to name you "Honorary Citizen of Greece". You post more about Greece than we do and that door on your front page, whenever I see it, I want to leave Athens and go to an island. However, I do agree with Peter, skip the canned ones, they cannot be compared to homemade ones.

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.